Second Chances
by hhills
Summary: After a messy divorce, Carol is just trying to get her life together. She focuses on her daughter and her job and swears off men and relationships. Daryl Dixon's life is exactly how he wants it. He has his shop, his house, his son. No entanglements. Everything changes when he's tasked with helping Carol and her broken down car. Can they find love again? AU with no ZA.
1. Chapter 1

**AN - This is my first attempt at a strictly Walking Dead story. It's AU with no zombies. At least for now. Everyone is much younger in my story and will most likely be OOC, but it is an AU after all. I'm imagining Carol to be around 30 with Daryl a couple of years older. Most of the Walking Dead cast will make appearances but I'm focusing on Carol and Daryl mainly. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy. If you do, favorite it. Or review. That's even better. Thanks!**

***TWD***TWD***

The sun beat down on the old highway, warming the frost off the spindly branches of the trees. Winter had stripped the trees of their leaves and the ground of its color, even in Southern Georgia. Daryl Dixon's eyes darted over the bleak landscape as he headed into town in his beat up truck. The cold weather had forced him to put his Triumph in the garage and he felt confined in the truck. He rolled the window down despite the cold air whipping in. His fingers adjusted the radio and classic rock blared out of the tinny speakers. With a groan, he turned the volume down when he heard his cell phone ringing.

"Yeah?" He barked into it, hating the feel of it in his hand. He missed the days when people weren't constantly available.

"You're late." His brother sounded surly on the other end.

"Fuck off, Merle." He rolled his eyes. "I don't punch no fucking time clock."

"Lucky fuckin' you." Merle snorted.

"Why the fuck you callin' me for when you know I'll be there when I get there?"

"Andrea called. Her friend broke down on the highway. The one I know you're driving on."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Daryl asked, already knowing he was getting roped into helping Andrea's friend. And he just knew without being told, that it was the friend that she had been trying to set him up with for the past few weeks.

"Help her out, brother." Merle chuckled. "You know she's knew to town and don't know no one."

"I swear to god if your wife staged this, I'm killing her Merle." Daryl threatened.

"It ain't staged, stupid." Merle rolled his eyes. "She's got a damn flat tire or something."

"Where is she?" Daryl sighed, already resigned to being a good Samaritan.

"On the highway, almost to town." Merle said. Daryl clicked the phone off and jabbed the radio back on. Three years ago, his older brother had settled down and married a lawyer who worked for the hospital. Daryl had been shocked at the development, considering his brother was a complete asshole. Women didn't tend to stick around Merle Dixon. But to Daryl's surprise, and most definitely to Merle's, Andrea had stuck. And ever since she'd said I Do to his brother, she'd been trying to find someone for Daryl to say the same words to. Daryl was resisting with everything he had. He liked his life the way it was. He had his house in the woods, his shop in town, and after a hard won battle he had his son.

He saw an older model Pontiac on the side of the road ahead and a tiny woman standing in front of the car. She had short red hair that twisted away from her head in crazy curls. Daryl shook his head as he pulled his truck over behind the car. He stuck his phone in his back pocket and hopped down from the truck.

"I've got someone coming." The woman said, her arms wrapped tight around her body, phone clenched tightly in one fist.

"I think I'm it." Daryl hook his thumbs in the belt loops on the front of his worn in jeans and rocked back on his booted heels. "You Andrea's friend?"

"Yeah." She nodded, loosening up a little. "Are you Daryl?"

"Yeah. What's going on with it?" He hadn't noticed any flat tires.

"I'm not sure. It started shaking really bad and then it just died. I'm lucky I got it off the road." She watched with cautious blue eyes as Daryl opened the drivers door and pulled the hood latch. He slammed the door and walked to the front of the car. He opened the hood and he disappeared from her view. She leaned against the back fender and groaned. Why was something like this always happening to her?

Six months ago, her husband had landed her in the hospital again. It wasn't the first time he had put her in, but she was damn sure it was gonna be the last. She filed a police report, got a restraining order, and called her friend from college. Michonne had driven the two hours in the middle of the night and picked Carol and her daughter up from the hospital. She had bundled them back to her small town and proceeded to help Carol get her life back. Michonne and her husband Rick, the local Sheriff, had helped her get a job at the hospital and a divorce. Six weeks ago, the divorce had come through and against Michonne and Rick's wishes, had moved into her own place with her daughter.

"Looks like the radiator's got a leak." Daryl came around the front of the car and startled Carol out her memories. "Was it getting hot?"

"Umm… I don't know." She shrugged. "I didn't notice."

"You headed to work or home?" He asked, slamming the hood down.

"Work."

"At the hospital, right?" At her nod, he motioned to his truck. "I'll drive you to work and tow your car. We'll have it fixed by the end of your shift. Andrea can probably give you a ride over, right?"

"R-r-right." She stammered.

"Ok. You got anything in there you need?"

"My purse." She jolted into motion and grabbed her stuff. She handed the keys to Daryl and followed him to his truck. He opened the passenger door for her and she awkwardly clambered into the seat. He slammed the door and walked around the truck. When he settled into his seat, the truck seemed overly crowded. Carol got her seat belt on and stared out the window. She watched as he steered around her car and continued down the highway.

"You a lawyer like Andrea?" Daryl asked, trying to start a conversation. The awkward silence in the truck was grating on his nerves.

"No." She shook her head, causing the crazy curls to go bouncing. "I'm an OB nurse."

"OB?" He frowned.

"I help doctors deliver babies." She smiled slightly.

"You like it?" He glanced over at her.

"Most of the time." She nodded. "Do you work with Merle at his shop?"

"It's my shop and he works for me." Daryl explained. "Merle likes to take credit for it all but he wasn't around when I started it."

"Oh?" Carol looked at him. "Where was he?"

"On vacation." Daryl snorted. He knew that Merle had been in prison for most of his twenties, but he wasn't sure that Andrea had told Carol about her husband's sordid past.

"Oh, ok." She nodded. "Have you always lived here?"

"All my life." Daryl shook his head ruefully. It was more like he'd been stuck in this tiny town for most of his life. Between taking care of Merle through his drug days and taking care of his mother before that through hers, he hadn't had much of a chance to leave town.

"I've just moved here." She murmured, looking around at the sleepy town that she now called home.

"Where'd you come from?" He asked, wondering why anyone would choose to come here.

"Marietta. It's a suburb of Atlanta." She fumbled with her phone when it buzzed in her hand. She was busy texting someone back when Daryl pulled up in front of the hospital.

"I'll have your car done by the time you get off." He smiled at her.

"Thank you." She opened the door and hopped out. She looked back up at him and offered him a beaming smile that changed everything about her face. Daryl's breath caught at the sparkle it brought to her blue eyes.

"It's nothing." He shrugged, not liking the way her eyes were making him feel.

"For the ride and the car, Daryl. I really appreciate it." With that, she turned and closed the door. Daryl watched her disappear into the hospital and groaned as he turned his truck towards his shop. He parked behind the shop and pushed through the side door. On a cool day like today, all the bay doors were closed firmly against the chill and space heaters hummed from the bays were mechanics were working. Dixon Bros kept five full time mechanics and three body men hired year round. Daryl and Merle filled in where they could.

Daryl nodded at the guys he saw and slipped into the office. Maggie Greene was behind the front desk, a phone cradled in her shoulder. Ever since he had bought the building and land from her father, Hershel, he had kept Maggie on as receptionist. She did way more for Daryl than the name implied and he wasn't sure what he would do if she decided to move to Atlanta to go to college like she always talked about. He rolled his eyes when he saw Merle in his office, feet up on the desk.

"I'm pretty sure I can find something for you to work on if you'd like to earn your paycheck today." Daryl said as he stepped into the office.

"I'm earnin' my check, little brother." Merle dropped his feet to the floor. "Don't you worry none about that."

"You could have fuckin' fooled me. It sure looks like you're doin' a whole lot of nothin'." Daryl went to the wall where all the keys hung and pocketed the keys to the tow truck.

"You get the little mouse fixed up?" Merle asked.

"Little mouse?" Daryl shot Merle a glare over his shoulder.

"Yeah. Andrea's friend."

"She has a name, asshole." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Course she does." Merle chuckled. "You get her car fixed?"

"No. It ain't no flat damn tire. Looks like the radiators busted. Gotta tow it back here." Daryl left the office and stopped behind Maggie at the desk. He looked over the invoices lined up on the corner while he waited for her to finish her phone call.

"Seems like the body shop always gets busy this time of year." She said as she hung up the phone. "Got a guy with an Impala wants it restored by Christmas."

"Christmas?" Daryl choked out, knowing what a big job it was to restore a car. "He out of his mind?"

"No." Maggie shook her head, her brown hair swinging around her face. "He said he just found the one he's been looking for and he wants to give it to his son for Christmas. Price is no option."

"Aw hell." Daryl sighed, knowing those were the magic words. "What year?"

"1967." Maggie said, looking at her notes. "He wants it black and mean. That's a quote."

"Tell him to get it in here." Daryl said. "I've got to tow a car and then I'll be busy most of the day getting it ready. You need me for anything?"

"You talking about Carol Logan's car?" Maggie smirked.

"Do you know everything around here?" Daryl frowned and headed towards the door.

"I do when your brother's got the biggest mouth in Georgia." Maggie laughed. "She's a real sweet lady. I hope you can get her clunker going."

"How do you know her?" Daryl stopped and turned to look back at Maggie.

"Mama watches her little girl while she's working." Maggie explained. "Haven't you seen her over there when you're getting Bowen?"

"No. Which kid's hers?" Daryl asked.

"Sophia. She's about three with crazy curly red hair."

"Should have fuckin' known. Crazy damn hair." Daryl shook his head and left the office. He climbed into the tow truck and got it started, knowing that it would take awhile to get warmed up. He dug his phone out and flipped through his texts. One from Andrea caught his eye. He clicked on it and had to chuckle when he read it. _Now that u've met her when can I set up the first date? She's great, right?_ He texted her back, telling her he could figure it out on his own and tossed the phone on the seat next to him. He was backing the truck out of its spot when the passenger door opened. Merle climbed in, knowing that Daryl wouldn't stop the truck for him.

"Couldn't even tell me you were leaving?"

"If I wanted your company, I would have told you." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"You always want my company, baby brother. You just don't know it."

"In your dreams." Daryl snorted as he pulled away from the shop.

"Stop by Horvath's. I need some fuckin' coffee." Merle ordered his brother.

"I ain't got time for no damn cafe." Daryl rolled his eyes. "You want coffee, you can get it at the gas station when I fuel up."

"Gas station coffee sucks." Merle grumbled. He threw his booted foot up on the dash and grabbed Daryl's phone from the seat next to him. Daryl glanced over and saw Merle with his phone and rolled his eyes.

"You even know how to work one of those, Grandpa?" Daryl asked, reaching over and yanking the smart phone from Merle's grasp. Merle surprisingly relinquished it without a fight.

"I got a phone, Darylina. I ain't an idiot."

"You got an old school flip phone, Merle." Daryl laughed. "That your wife had to explain to you with fuckin' pictures and shit."

"Fuck you." Merle glared at his brother. "You know I was out of the loop for a long time."

"Yeah, yeah." Daryl said as he pulled into the gas station. He parked in front of a diesel pump and shut the truck off. Daryl grabbed his gloves and climbed out to begin fueling the truck. He watched as Merle meandered his way into the store, stopping to talk to several people on his way. Daryl felt a little guilty about ribbing Merle about his time in prison. He knew his brother hated to talk about that part of his life. Daryl pulled the pump from the truck when it clicked off. Screwing the cap back on, he hurried into the store. He glanced over where Merle was making small talk with Jacqui, the proprietor, before moving to the coffee pots.

"Better hurry up, little brother, if you want to get the mouse's car fixed for her." Merle called out.

"Better mind your own fuckin' business, Merle." Daryl mumbled under his breath as he poured sugar into his cup.

"Now, Merle, you oughtn't mess with your little brother like that." Jacqui chided the redneck at her counter. "You know he don't deserve that."

"I think you might be soft on my baby brother, Jacqui." Merle fixed his blue eyes on Jacqui, who was obviously way too old for his brother.

"I just might be, Merle Dixon." Jacqui laughed. "You know he fixed the transmission in my old truck and he's letting me make payments on it."

"I'm pretty sure I helped fix that." Merle said, rolling his eyes. Everybody in this damn town had a soft spot for his brother.

"My shop, Merle." Daryl put his coffee cup on the counter and got his wallet out. "I get the credit for it."

"Lucky fuckin' you." Merle rolled his eyes. "Pay for my coffee."

"I always fuckin' do." Daryl smiled at Jacqui. "How's that truck doin' for you?"

"Runnin' like a top, thanks to you guys." Jacqui beamed at Daryl. "Don't gotta worry about a thing."

"Bring it in sometime this week and someone will check your fluids for you." Daryl offered, handing her his credit card.

"I will." She winked at him and turned to the credit card machine.

"Jesus Christ." Merle grumbled and stalked out of the store.

"What's his problem today?" Jacqui asked when she turned back around to hand Daryl's card to him.

"Same thing as it is every day." Daryl smirked. "He's a grouchy asshole."

"He's got that pretty wife and an adorable little daughter." Jacqui frowned. "You'd think he'd be happy all the time with those blessings."

"He's happy." Daryl scrawled his name on the credit card slip. "He just don't know how to show it, I guess."

"Andrea'll get him in line, I'm sure." Jacqui nodded. "Speaking of adorable, how's your son? You haven't brought him in here for a minute."

"He's good. Getting big." Daryl grinned. "We're working on potty training. It's not going so well."

"I always heard if you put Cheerios in the toilet, it gives 'em something to aim for." Jacqui offered. "You might try that."

"I just might." Daryl picked up his coffee cup and smiled at Jacqui again. "I'd best be going. Be sure to bring that old truck in this week."

"I will, Daryl." She nodded, watching him walk out the door. He waved and then hurried to his truck. Seemed like the wind was really whipping around now.

"What the hell's your problem today?" Daryl asked his brother when he climbed back into the tow truck.

"Not a damn thing, baby brother." Merle rasped out. "Let's get this fuckin' car towed and get back to the shop where it's warm."

"Alright." Daryl frowned across the cab at his brother and then popped the tow truck into gear. He didn't figure pondering on Merle's bad mood would do him any damn good anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

In the maternity ward, it must have been a full moon that evening because chaos was reigning. There were three women in labor and two who had just delivered and with only three nurses on duty, things were getting crazy. Carol was too busy to worry about her car or think about the man that was fixing it.

"Carol, the woman in 211 is requesting you." Patricia,the lead nurse, said as she sailed past the nurse's station.

"I'm on it." Carol nodded and took the Ipad from the charging dock on the desk and pulled up room 211. Looking over the chart, she noted that the woman was only three centimeters dilated and already on a pain reliever. Carol put the Ipad back on the charger and took off down the hall, the rubber soles of her clogs squeaking on the floor. She entered the darkened room and gazed at the woman on the bed. She was laying on her side with her eyes closed. Her husband was perched behind her on the bed, his hand on her back and his eyes glazed with worry.

"Rosita, how are you feeling?" Carol asked, stepping quietly across the room and gazing at the readouts from the fetal monitor.

"The contractions are getting stronger and closer together." Rosita said, eyes still closed.

"When will the doctor be in?" Her husband asked, his dark eyes pinning Carol down.

"Dr. Jones is finishing up his rounds and he'll be in as soon as he can." Carol explained, moving around the bed and checking the IV bag filling Rosita with fluids. "Mr. Martinez, you needn't worry. Your wife is doing well and your son has a strong heartbeat."

"Please, call me Ceasar." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Rosita's head. "It's our first baby and I hate to see her in pain."

"If it gets too much, we can administer an epidural. There's plenty of time." Carol stood at the foot of the bed. "You can walk around if you'd like. You brought the exercise ball. You could use that. Just watch the IV. I'll check on Dr. Jones and let you know when he'll be in."

"Thanks, Carol." Rosita opened her eyes and sent her nurse a smile.

"It's no problem. Push the call button if you need anything." Carol left the room and hurried back to the nurse's station. She pulled her phone out and checked her messages as she walked. Noticing one from Michonne asking if she could meet her and Andrea for lunch, she texted back and agreed to meet in the cafeteria in an hour.

"How's she doing?" Patricia asked when Carol sat in the chair next to her behind the desk.

"She's good." Carol grinned. "The husband, not so much. We may need to get him something for anxiety before she goes into active labor."

"He's sweet, though." Patricia smiled. "It's nice to see a good one."

"Tell me about it." Carol agreed. One of the worst things about her job, other than losing a baby as nothing could compare to that horror, was seeing all the single women delivering babies with no one at their side.

"My Otis was with me the whole time with both of mine." Patricia said as she went back to typing at the computer. "He was scared witless, but he stayed by my side."

"My ex dropped me off at the hospital and I didn't see him again until Sophia and I took a cab home two days later." Carol rolled her eyes. "The house was trashed and he was drunk."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Carol." Patricia reached over and patted Carol's hand. "They're not all bad, though. Keep that in mind."

"Oh no, Patricia." Carol laughed. "I'm done with men. No dating for me."

"We'll see about that." Patricia grinned. "I bet you change your mind." Carol watched the older woman walk off down the hallway and shook her head. Carol knew she wouldn't, no couldn't, change her mind. There was no way she would ever put herself or Sophia through that drama ever again. She busied herself checking on patients until it was time for her lunch. She waved goodbye to Patricia and the other nurse, Miranda, before sliding into the elevator. She busied herself with her phone while she waited and was surprised to see a text from a random number. With a frown, she clicked on it. _Carol? It's Daryl. Got your car and a new radiator. Had to replace some hoses and a new belt, but it'll be done when you get off work. If you can't get a ride, text me back._ Carol glared down at her phone and pocketed it before stepping off the elevator and heading into the cafeteria. Seeing Andrea and Michonne already sitting at a table, she flopped down into a chair.

"Hey." Andrea said around a bite of salad. Her long blond hair was pulled up into a neat French twist and she wore a black business suit with a short skirt and pink blouse. Carol tried to hate her just a little for how put together she always looked, but she just couldn't find it in herself to do it.

"Your brother-in-law fixed my car." She said, reaching out and stealing a french fry from Michonne's plate.

"Already?" Michonne slanted an eyebrow over at Andrea, a grin playing over her full lips. Michonne's long dreadlocks were pulled up in a crown around her head and her dark eyes were dancing with mirth. "That was really fast."

"Yeah, it was. Daryl must have seen something he liked this morning." Andrea grinned. "Gee, I wonder what it could be."

"You guys suck." Carol got up from the chair and hurried over to the line and grabbed a tray. She mindlessly moved through the line and tried to figure out how she was going to pay for the repairs he had made to her car. Money was extremely tight now that she had moved out onto her own. Rent, utilities, and day care fees were draining her dry.

"What are you so mad about?" Michonne asked when Carol sat back down at their table. "Your car's fixed, right? One less thing to worry about."

"How am I supposed to pay for it, Michonne?" Carol ran a hand through her hair, causing her rambunctious curls to go bouncing. "He said he replaced the radiator, belts, and hoses. That can't be cheap."

"Don't worry about it, Carol." Andrea said. "Daryl always helps folks out with payments or whatever."

"I don't need charity." Carol glared at her friend.

"It's not charity." Michonne sipped at her water. "It's him being a nice guy. He does it for everyone."

"Can you give me a ride over there when I'm off?" Carol asked, choosing to change the subject. She didn't want to think about Daryl Dixon anymore today. They finished their lunch and headed off to their separate sections of the hospital. Carol got her phone out again in the elevator and texted Daryl back that she had a ride over there after work and stuck the phone back in her pocket. The rest of her day flew by. Rosita Martinez delivered a healthy baby boy that afternoon and it did Carol good to see how scared and happy Ceasar was when he held his son for the first time. Dr. Morgan Jones shared a look with Carol in the delivery room and she knew that he was happy with this little family. After work, she hurried to the administrative wing of the hospital and slipped into Andrea's office. She was surprised to see Michonne sitting across from Andrea.

"You about ready?" Carol asked, sinking down onto the other chair.

"Yeah. Michonne was just talking to me about a meeting tomorrow morning." Andrea nodded.

"Someone else suing the hospital?" Carol rolled her neck along the back of the chair and looked over at Michonne. Her friend was the chief administrator of the hospital and always busy with something. The worst was people suing for malpractice. Most cases were frivolous and a waste of everyone's time and energy.

"Always." Michonne nodded. "It never ends."

"And it never will. Too many suits end up paying out just to avoid bad PR." Andrea rolled her eyes.

"I know. You're preaching to the choir, sister." Michonne toed her feet back into the stiletto heels she pranced around on and stood up. "I've got a few more hours before I can go yet."

"What about the twins?" Andrea asked. "You need me to get them from Jo's?"

"No, Rick's picking them up when he gets off." Michonne said, smiling at the thought of her son and daughter. Andre and Judith were almost four and two handfuls of trouble.

"Thank goodness." Andrea was relieved. "Those two wear me out. I don't know how you guys do it."

"Well, Rick carries a gun, you know." Michonne chuckled. "It's pretty easy to keep them in line."

"Michonne." Carol burst out laughing. After living in the Grimes' house for the past few months, she knew exactly what went on in their house. "Rick doesn't threaten those kids with his gun."

"Well, maybe he should some days." Michonne shook her head. "I'd better get back to work. Good luck with your car, Carol. I hope Daryl gives you a good deal."

"Like maybe free labor in exchange for a date?" Andrea spoke up.

"You both are ridiculous. I'm not dating anyone." Carol wearily stood up. "Even if I wanted to, I have no time."

"I'm pretty sure you could make time." Michonne said. "I'd be happy to watch Sophia for you."

"I don't need a babysitter." Carol rolled her eyes. "I need a ride to my car. Could we go?"

"Fine, Grumpy Gail." Andrea grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. They waved good-bye to Michonne and hurried out to Andrea's SUV. Carol put her seat belt on and waited while Andrea plugged her phone in and turned the Lincoln on.

"I'm sorry." She finally spoke when Andrea had pulled away from the hospital. "I've been a real bitch today."

"I wasn't gonna say anything, but now that you mention it." Andrea glanced over at her friend. "I'm sorry if I'm pushing Daryl on you."

"It's not that." Carol shook her head. "It's just a lot for me. I didn't have the best marriage, you know."

"That would be the understatement of the year, Carol." Andrea smiled grimly. "Ed Peletier should have been shot at birth, considering what a son of a bitch he is. Only good thing he ever did was give you Sophia."

"That's about the truth." Carol nodded. "After all that, I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready for another relationship."

"I'm not asking you to marry him, Carol." Andrea said. "He's a great guy and he's had a rough time of it too. His ex is a world class piece of shit. Out of all the guys out there, I think Daryl would get it. Get you."

"Maybe." Carol looked out the window and smiled at the Christmas lights glinting on the houses they passed.

"Just consider letting him take you out. Have some adult conversation for a change. Just have a good time. At the least, you'll make a great friend." Andrea pointed out. "He really is a good guy."

"We'll see." Carol acquiesced that to Andrea. She really wasn't in the market for anyone else in her life and she wasn't sure at what point she would be. She looked around when Andrea parked in front of a long brick building. Cars were everywhere around the lot, in various states of repair.

"This is Dixon Bros." Andrea turned her Lincoln off and slid out of the drivers seat. She and Carol rushed into the office, in a hurry to get out of the biting wind. Inside the warm office, Maggie was trying to decorate a Christmas tree all while juggling the mechanics and the constantly ringing phone. She grinned over at Andrea and Carol when they burst inside.

"Good evening." She hung the red bulb on the tree and hurried around the desk.

"They got you decorating, huh?" Andrea laughed.

"Somebody has to." Maggie grinned, hunting through the invoices for Carol's. "These Neanderthals would hang beer cans and spark plugs on it if it was up to them."

"Sounds about right." Andrea chuckled. "Merle tried to do that last year."

"I'm not surprised." Maggie shook her head. "I can't find your invoice, Carol. Let me ask Daryl what happened to it."

"It's no rush, Maggie." Carol said. She set her purse with Andrea's on a chair and grabbed a box of ornaments with her friend.

"Might as well help her out." Andrea said, hanging a bulb. "These guys run her ragged."

"She seems like she handles it." Carol smiled, envious of the ease Maggie had with the rough men in the shop.

"Maggie handles everything. She and Michonne could rule the entire world if they had the chance." Andrea sent Carol a scared look. "It's terrifying, really."

"Who has time for all that?" Carol chuckled. "I can barely handle my own life."

"You and me both." Andrea agreed. She emptied out her box of shiny bulbs and picked up another. Before she could hang anymore, Daryl and Merle were coming in from the garage.

"Hey, Blondie." Merle skirted around the desk and grabbed his wife up into his arms. He dipped her over his arm and slanted his mouth across hers. Carol's face turned red as she moved around them to get to the desk. Daryl was shaking his head at his brother's antics.

"Get a room, you two!" He called out before turning to look at Carol.

"Thank you for making time to fix my car today." She said and smiled at him like she had this morning. Daryl groaned inside when his heart started beating hard against his chest.

"It was no problem at all." He dug her keys out of the pocket of his Carhartt coat and handed them to her across the desk. His palm brushed hers and he groaned again when his hand tingled. What in the hell was wrong with him?

"How much do I owe you?" She asked, reaching for her purse.

"Don't worry about it." Daryl shook his head.

"You fixed my car. Now, I pay for it." Carol frowned. "I'm pretty sure that's how these things work."

"Fixin' your car's my welcome to town gift to you." Daryl smiled at her and Carol blinked her eyes against the brilliance of it.

"I don't need charity." Carol got her checkbook from her purse.

"It's not charity." He shook his head again.

"It is charity." Carol frowned. "I can pay my own way."

"I'm sure you can." Daryl wasn't sure what to make of this woman. "You can make payments if it'll make you feel better."

"It would." She leaned down to fill a check out. Daryl put his hand over her check, his calloused fingers scraping roughly over the top of her hand.

"I'll take the first payment in the form of dinner."

"Dinner?" Carol looked up at him, a puzzled look on her face. "You want me to cook for you?"

"I'm not gonna say no to a home cooked meal. I'm not gonna lie. That does sound nice." Daryl grinned. "But we could go out for dinner if you'd feel better."

"You want me to make you dinner in exchange for fixing my car?" She was still confused.

"No." Daryl chuckled at the puzzled look on Carol's face. "You want to pay me for fixing your car. I said I didn't want you to pay. You insisted. I'd rather have dinner with you than have your money."

Carol stared across the counter at the man in front of her. His clear blue eyes were twinkling at her and she could see the amused expression on his face. He was extremely attractive. Just because she wasn't in the market for a man didn't mean she couldn't appreciate when a good looking one was standing in front of her. Cooking him dinner wasn't going to kill her and if she was being honest with herself, she could really use the extra money not paying him would generate in her bank account. Christmas was coming, after all. She finally nodded. "I'll cook dinner for you. Tomorrow night?"

"Perfect." He agreed, grinning at her. "What time?"

"Around six?" She tilted her head and shrugged. "I know it's early but my daughter has an early bedtime."

"I understand. My son's the same way." Daryl buried his hands in the pockets of his worn in jeans. Carol tried to ignore the way his motions pulled his jeans tight against his crotch. "Do you mind if I bring him with me?"

"Of course not." She agreed, smiling one last time at him before turning around. She was surprised to see that Merle and Andrea had disappeared from the office.

"They left." Daryl spoke up. "I'll show you to your car, if you want."

"Thanks." Carol said and followed him out of the building. They hurried around the side of the building and Carol was relieved to see her Pontiac. Daryl watched her climb in her car and race out of the parking lot. He turned at the sound of heels on the pavement behind him. Andrea was standing there, grinning.

"Was I right or what?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah." He shook his head. "Don't let it go to your head."

"We'll see." She laughed and hopped into her SUV. Merle was already in the passenger seat, his window down and a cigarette dangling from his fingers. Daryl had to laugh when Andrea took the cigarette and tossed it out of the Lincoln. Merle's outraged vioce could be heard from the SUV as he went back inside to finish up for the day. Carol hadn't been what he'd expected. Most women he knew would have been excited about the free car repairs. Not Carol, though. He had to be impressed at her determination to do it all on her own. And now, thanks to said determination, Daryl had a home cooked meal to look forward to.

"You're looking pleased with yourself." Maggie was finishing up the Christmas tree in the lobby.

"It's been a pretty good day, Maggie." Daryl dug his hands in the pockets of his coat and rocked back on his heels to get a good look at the tree. "It's lookin' good."

"Thanks." Maggie smiled over her shoulder at her boss. "I put all the urgent business on your desk. You need to sign a few checks for bills."

"Ok." He nodded and squeezed her shoulder as he passed her. Not for the first time that day, he thought about how grateful he was to have Maggie working for him. He would be lost without her assistance. He made a mental note to give her a hefty Christmas bonus. He knew she and her boyfriend, a young Korean kid, were trying to get their own place. Daryl glanced at his watch. He had to hurry so he could get Bowen from Jo's.


	3. Chapter 3

The next evening, Carol checked on the lasagne in the oven before looking in at Sophia in the living room. Seeing that she was still wrapped up in the Disney movie Carol had put on for her while she was cooking, she darted down the hall to her bedroom and checked her hair. She didn't know why she was so worried about what she looked like. She wasn't interested in Daryl like that. She couldn't be. But she couldn't deny that her car had never run better than it was right now. Daryl had performed magic on her hand me down Pontiac. She owed him at least a decent meal for that.

"Mama?" Sophia's voice sounded from the living room. "What you doin'?"

"I'll be right there, Sophia!" Carol called back. She took one last look at her outfit, black leggings that according to Andrea made her ass look amazing and a turquoise tunic that sort of draped around her upper half. She wore flip flops on her bare feet as she always did in the house and she had paired the outfit with a long black beaded necklace and silver hoops in her ears. She squirted perfume on her wrists and hurried down the hall to see what her daughter needed.

"My movie's over, Mama." Sophia was standing on the couch and staring at her mother with blue eyes that were an exact replica of her own. Carol thanked her stars every single day that her little girl had nothing of her father in her. She was the spitting image of Carol herself.

"So it is." Carol smiled and leaned over the back of the couch and hugged her daughter. "You want to read books with me?"

"Yeah." Sophia nodded and scrambled off the couch. "I get my book."

"Ok, baby." Carol sat on the rocking chair and pulled Sophia into her lap when she had picked out a book.

"Fish book, Mama." Sophia wriggled around and made herself comfortable before opening the first page of her favorite book. She poked Carol in the side. "Read, Mama."

"Ok." Carol laughed and looked down at the book. "One fish, two fish. Red fish, blue fish." Carol read the book to Sophia, delighting in her little girl's giggles. It really didn't matter to Carol that she had read this book probably hundreds of times. As long as Sophia smiled and laughed, Carol would read it as many times as she wanted.

"Again, Mama?" Sophia asked.

"Let me check on dinner first, okay?" Carol stood up and put Sophia back on the rocking chair. "I'll be right back."

"Ok." Sophia nodded. Carol hurried to the kitchen and peeked into the oven. Her lasagne was looking really good. Golden brown crusty cheese on top and bubbling sauce poking through. She pulled it out and stuck the loaf of garlic bread in the oven. She was wiping her hands on a towel when the doorbell rang.

"Mama! Someone's here!" Sophia hollered and before Carol could tell her she'd get it, she heard her daughter's feet pounding on the floor and the door whooshing open. Carol rushed into the living room to see Daryl on her porch. He was wearing dark blue crisp jeans and a soft blue button down with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, despite the chill in the air.

"Hey." Daryl said awkwardly, hitching up his son on his hip. Carol's eyes were drawn to the little boy who had the same blue eyes as his father. Almost white blond hair swirled messily around the little boy's head. Carol was shocked at how beautiful Daryl's son was.

"Hi." Carol stopped by her daughter and swept Sophia up into her arms. "Please come inside."

"I think we're early." Daryl said as he stepped in and shut the door behind him. "But, Bowen didn't want to wait any longer."

"He was excited, huh?" Carol laughed.

"I guess." Daryl shrugged, a small smile playing across his lips. If he was going to be honest with himself, he had been the one excited to come over to Carol's.

"Well, this is Sophia. Sophia, meet Daryl." Carol introduced.

"Mama, I know him." Sophia said, her small hand patting Carol's cheek. "That Bo's daddy."

"I forgot you both go to Miss Jo's." Carol chuckled nervously.

"We friends, Mama." Sophia shook her head up and down. "Can we watch 'toons? Bo likes 'toons."

"Sure." Carol agreed and plopped Sophia on the couch. She fiddled with the remote and changed the channel to Nickelodeon. Sophia clapped her hands excitedly.

"Bo, come sit by me." Sophia pleaded, her hands slapping the cushion next to her. In Daryl's arms, Bo was squirming to be let down. Daryl groaned when Bo's foot kicked a little too close for comfort and he gratefully lowered Bo to the cushion next to Sophia. Bo's arms flailed when Sophia reached over and hugged him tightly.

"Sophia, be gentle." Carol warned.

"Bo likes me." Sophia sent her mother a glare and then turned her attention to the cartoons. Daryl unzipped Bo's leather jacket and shimmied it off of his son. His eyes followed Carol when she darted out of the room. He tossed the jacket on the end of the couch and followed her. In the kitchen doorway, he leaned against the jam and watched as she bent over to check on something in the oven. He wasn't sure who it was who came up with the idea of leggings for women, but Daryl suddenly wanted to give that person a gold star. He had never seen a finer ass on any woman. His face blushed red when Carol turned her head and caught him in the doorway.

"Are you checking out my ass?" She asked, standing up and tossing a dishtowel over her shoulder. She put her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"N-n-no." He stammered, shaking his head. "Just wondering what's in the oven. It smells amazing."

"It's garlic bread." Carol tried to keep the grin off her face, but couldn't help it. He really was adorable when he was embarrassed. "To go with the lasagne I made."

"Is it that Stouffer's kind?" Daryl asked, stepping forward. "Bo really likes that stuff."

"Do you mean frozen lasagne?" Carol's eyes about bugged out of her head. "You feed your son that frozen crap?"

"Umm, yeah." Daryl was confused.

"Oh, Daryl." Carol shook her head, a sad expression on her face. "That poor little boy."

"He likes it!" Daryl tried to defend himself.

"Of course he does. He doesn't know any better." She pulled the tin foil off her lasagne and pointed to it. "I make mine homemade. The only thing from a box are the noodles and that's only because I had no time to make noodles today."

"You made lasagne?" Daryl peered down at the pan and about died. His lasagne never looked that good. He was suddenly famished.

"Yes." Carol giggled and began getting plates and bowls from the counter. "Do you think Bo will mind eating from a Lion King plate?"

"We generally use styrofoam at home so I don't think he'll mind." Daryl turned away from the stove and watched her set the table.

"You're killing me, Daryl." Carol sent him an amused look over the table and shook her head.

"You want me to get drinks?" Daryl tilted up one side of his mouth in the most adorable smirk Carol had almost seen.

"Sure." She nodded, turning away from him. "Sippie cups are in the cabinet over the dish drainer and there's milk and juice in the fridge. Sophia gets milk."

"Ok." Daryl nodded and figured it was best not to mention that Bo usually drank kool-aid in his sippie cup. He could guess what Carol had to say about that. He glanced over at her as she bent over her lasagne with a knife. A smile played across his face when she expertly plated two small portions for the kids. He watched while she broke up some garlic bread into bite sized pieces and cut the lasagne up really small.

"It's ready." She said, turning around suddenly. She stopped when she saw Daryl staring, two empty sippie cups in his hands. She slanted an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"Sorry." He mumbled, moving around her awkwardly to get to the refrigerator. Carol laughed and left the kitchen only to return a few moments later carrying an extra high chair.

"I brought a booster seat for Bo. It's in the truck." Daryl said when he saw her. "You didn't have to get an extra high chair."

"It was already here." Carol shrugged. She situated the chair next to Sophia's. "My friend Michonne left it here."

"Michonne Grimes?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah." She nodded, putting the Disney themed plates in front of the high chairs. "We went to college together."

"Her husband and I are really good friends." Daryl laughed. "Small world, huh?"

"In this town it is." Carol nodded. "It seems like everyone knows everyone else. It's crazy."

"It's nice though." Daryl said as he screwed the lids on the sippie cups. "Well, most of the time."

"Mama!" Sophia hollered from the living room, startling the two adults. "Me and Bo are hungry!"

"Ok, Sophia." Carol called back and turned to Daryl. "Can you get them? Sophia can walk herself. I'll make our plates."

"Sure." Daryl left the room and Carol turned back to the stove. She grabbed two plates and loaded Daryl's up with lasagne and garlic bread, all while cursing herself in her head. She had never expected to like him quite so much. He was funny and sweet and so obviously into her. She hadn't been expecting anything like him.

"This is my seat, Bo." Sophia said as she sailed into the kitchen like a little princess. "You sit here in Andre's seat. He won't mind." She patted the high chair before climbing up into hers. She settled in and then turned to where Daryl was strapping Bo in. "You should make it tighter, Mr. Daryl. He might fall out. Judy did once."

"She fell out?" Daryl frowned, pulling the strap as tight as he could. He'd never considered the possibility that Bo could slide out the bottom.

"Yep." Sophia giggled. "It was funny, but Aunt 'Chonne was really upset."

"I bet." Daryl secured the trays on the high chairs and pushed them both up to the table. Sophia reached for a fork while Bo stretched his hand out and snagged a noodle from his lasagne. Sophia laughed when he rubbed the noodle all over his face trying to get it into his mouth.

"No, Bo." She giggled and leaned over to him. She took the noodle from his hand and shoved it into his mouth. "Like this."

"Sophia!" Carol exclaimed. "Let him do it. I don't think he needs your help." Sophia was silent as she took a bite. Carol put her and Daryl's plates on the table and grabbed her bottle of water before she sat down. Daryl took his seat and groaned when he saw how good his dinner looked.

"You're gonna have to roll me to my truck." He joked, picking up his fork. He swooned when he took his first bite. He had never tasted anything more delicious than this lasagne.

"I made Italian crème cake for dessert." She had to brag. Just a little. Cooking was something she excelled at and actually enjoyed doing.

"Are you serious?" Daryl's eyes got bigger. "You shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

"It was no trouble." Carol smiled. "We were having lasagne tonight anyway."

"You were making this for the two of you?" Daryl's eyes were agog.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I take the leftovers to work and share with Andrea and Michonne usually."

"Andrea knew about this and didn't tell me?" He was outraged and then pleased when Carol laughed.

"You should try my meatloaf. That's Andrea's favorite." Carol teased him. "I made it for her and Merle's anniversary last month."

"That was you?" Daryl stopped eating. "Merle went on about that for weeks. He actually asked Andrea to make it again just the other day."

"She said it was a hit." Carol beamed with pride.

"You should have your own restaurant." Daryl decided as he took another mouthwatering bite. She gave him a half smile at the compliment.

"Bo!" Sophia hollered. Both adults turned to her just in time to watch her throw a hunk of garlic bread at Bo. The saucy bread bounced off Bo's head, leaving a trail of red through his white blond hair.

"Sophia!" Carol exclaimed, jumping up to get a washrag.

"He threw it first, Mama." She pouted, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Even if he did, that doesn't mean you should throw it back." Carol moved over to Bo and started wiping the sauce from his head. Her eyes grew huge when she saw that it was leaving a pink streak behind.

"Bo likes to throw food, Carol." Daryl stood up from under the table. He had finally found the bread and tossed it into the trash. "We're working on it."

"Sophia went through that stage." Carol said as she scrubbed harder at Bo's head. He leaned his head away from her and whined, his little hands trying to get her away from him.

"Bo, stop." Daryl said, grabbing his son's hands. "Let Miss Carol clean you up."

"I don't think it's working, Daryl." Carol finally stopped before she scrubbed his head bald. "The pasta sauce stained his hair, I think."

"It happens." Daryl shrugged, sitting back down. He wasn't about to let pink hair stop him from enjoying his meal. "I'll give him a bath later and try to get it out."

"I'm sorry." Carol said as she returned to her seat. "Sophia, no more throwing food." She gave her daughter the mom look and when Sophia finally nodded, everyone started eating again.

"So, why babies?" Daryl asked, forking another bite into his mouth. This food really was amazing. He was already trying to figure out how to wrangle another invitation for dinner.

"My job?" She glanced at him and at his nod she smiled. "Babies make me happy. Watching the parents the first time they see their child, it's amazing."

"I bet." Daryl said, frowning slightly. He hadn't been allowed to be there when Bo was born. The fact that she had banned him from the hospital still burned his ass every time he thought about it. Shaking off the bad mood that those thoughts usually brought, he looked up and smiled at Carol. She was one woman that he knew would never act the way that Bowen's egg donor had.

"Is everything ok?" She asked him, a frown marring her pretty face.

"Yeah." He nodded, smiling across the table at her. Sitting here in her kitchen, eating amazing food, and listening to the kids chatter was almost heaven for him. He'd spent too many days rattling around in his house with just him and Bowen there.

"Do you want some more?" She asked, noticing his plate was almost empty.

"I'd better not." He shook his head regretfully. "I'd better save some room for that cake."

"You won't regret that. My crème cake is amazing." Carol laughed as she stood up and started gathering plates.

"If it's anything like this lasagne, I can believe it." Daryl approached her at the sink. "If you give me a clean rag, I'll get the kids cleaned up."

"Sure." She nodded, flustered at how close he was to her. She grabbed a washrag from the drawer and ran it under the hot water before turning to hand it to him. He was standing closer than she thought and she ran straight into him, their bodies brushing together in ways that had Carol's breath catching in her throat. Daryl reached a hand out and grasped her waist, steadying her more than she wanted to admit. His touch sent shivers up and down her body, all while centering her. She gazed up at him, her blue eyes luminous sucking Daryl in. He was leaning in when Bo started screaming. They jerked apart without a word. Daryl sighed as he started washing Bo's hands and face.

"Me next, Mr. Daryl." Sophia pounded her hands on the tray of her highchair.

"Of course, Sophia." Daryl smiled at her as he finished up Bo's messy hands. His hair really was stained pink. He hoped that some baby shampoo would get the stain out.

"Will Bo's hair be pink forever?" Sophia asked, now kicking her feet at the tray. "Pink is my favorite color. Maybe his whole head could be pink."

"I think some shampoo will get that pink right out, Sophia." Carol spoke up from the sink where she was rinsing plates off.

"Oh, man." Sophia sighed, obviously disappointed. She lifted her face up for Daryl to wipe off and then wiggled to get out of her chair. Daryl finally unstrapped her and she was off like a bullet.

"Can they watch TV again?" Daryl asked, swinging Bo up into his arms. Carol turned from the sink just in time to catch Bo squeeze his arms around Daryl's neck and kiss his cheek. Daryl returned the affection by smattering kisses all across Bo's face.

"That's fine." Carol nodded, trying to get a hold of herself. Watching Daryl with his son made her uterus ache. She had never seen something so sweet and so sexy all at the same time. For a single mother, a man who loved his own kid and was good with hers was more important than anything. She grasped the edge of the sink and leaned her head over. She was feeling way too much considering she was just supposed to be repaying a debt.

"You ok?" Daryl asked, stepping back into the kitchen. He grabbed the dishtowel from her shoulder and began drying the plates she was just washed.

"Yeah." She smiled and returned to the dishes. Things were much safer in the sink. There wasn't any temptation to turn and take the man next to her in the sink. The sink she could handle. The way Daryl made her feel was a completely different story. She had no idea what to do with those feelings. He wasn't in her plan.


End file.
